Data indicates that polypropylene, the main ingredient in disposable face masks can cause lung damage, according to a recent study by the Korea Institute of Toxicology.
Polypropylene (PP) is the central raw material of disposable masks and recent reports have implied that PP microparticles, which have been reused or worn down, can be inhaled. To verify that PP causes injury to the respiratory system, the researchers observed PP nanoplastic in the respiratory tract of laboratory animals and found inflammatory damage, particularly a neutrophilic inflammatory response.
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“The study has established a clear basis for inhalation toxicology by confirming the harm to the human body following inhalation exposure to PP nanoplastic,” the research team said. “In the future, we plan to conduct various studies between microplastics and inhalation toxicity studies.”
Another study published in the National Library of Medicine found that reusing cotton, surgical, and fashion masks after they had undergone disinfection processes can increase the risk of particle and microplastic inhalation.
The same study noted that while masks contribute to microplastic inhalation, they should still be worn to help stop the transmission of COVID-19 as particle inhalation is less severe than the coronavirus.
Contradicting the claim that masks stop the spread of the virus, a recent Cochrane review including 276,917 participants found that “wearing masks in the community makes little or no difference to the outcome of laboratory confirmed SARS-CoV-2 compared to not wearing masks.”
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